Transportation of goods, either by land, air, or water, generally requires that the goods be secured within the transport vehicle in order to prevent the goods from shifting en route. Large, bulky freight items in particular are often secured during shipment. One manner of securing these items is by using straps that extend over a portion of the freight such that each end of the strap is then secured to the transport vehicle. These straps are made of a durable material having a high tensile strength, such as nylon, so as to prevent breakage of the strap due to the loads applied to the strap by the freight during shipment.
FIG. 2 illustrates a typical strap 28 configuration used to tie down and secure freight 26 during shipment. The straps are adjustable, and have at least one connector mechanism at each of the distal ends of the strap. Each strap is extended across an item of freight, and each distal end of the strap is secured to the structure of the vehicle. In particular, a tie-down anchor is attached to the structure of a vehicle, and the tie-down anchor is adapted to receive a connector mechanism attached to the distal ends of the strap. Thus, the tie-down anchor attached to the structure of a vehicle has historically been adapted to receive only one type of strap from a particular manufacturer.
The receiving mechanisms, or tie-down anchors, have historically been attached to the floor of the transport vehicle on which the freight is placed during transport. The tie-down anchors can also be attached to the side walls of the vehicle, particularly if the freight being transport is particularly tall or if the freight is stacked and there is a need to secure the upper articles of freight as well as those on the bottom. These tie-down anchors are usually installed on the vehicle after the manufacture of the vehicle is completed, as an after-market add-on by the owner or lessee of the vehicle.
The tie-down anchors are used in the railroad industry and with other types of transport vehicles in a similar manner. The prior art tie-down anchors used in railcars are generally installed using holes cut in the floor of the railcar. The tie-down anchors are spaced at regular intervals along each longitudinal side of the railcar in the holes cut in the floor. The prior art tie-down anchors consist of tubular sections that are inserted through the holes cut in the floor and welded to the underframe structure of the freight car. A top plate is then welded to the tubular section such that the top plate is substantially coplanar with the floor of the railcar. The top plate includes apertures formed therethrough, and the apertures correspond to the connecting mechanism of a particular manufacturer's retaining strap. As noted above, a disadvantage of this system is that the prior art tie-down anchors are custom design for, and can only be used with, the retaining strap for which they are designed. Another disadvantage of these prior art tie-down anchors is the amount of significant welding required to install them securely. Furthermore, because the floor of the railcar is cut in order to receive individual prior art tie-down anchors, and then the top plate of the tie-down anchor is then welded to the floor, it is difficult to maintain a smooth surface on the floor.